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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com